Sex Change operation

I have a bit of a question from the world of the weird. First my OEG Rooster passed on 3+weeks ago. He was in the house in the chicken hospital for a week, and was not crowing or 'roostering' for a week or so previous. So, I estimate it likely to have been 4-6 weeks since the girls say any rooster action. But we got a fertilized egg from one of the 4 Polish chickens in the last few days. The Polish girls never did not tolerate the Roos advances and would simply, with size differences just toss him off. (He had a couple other co-operative girls). The question was where did this fertilized egg come from---Rooster in rooster heaven, and the polish girls not liking the englishman when he was alive. So I did my monthly Chicken Exam and now note one of the black/white crested Polish girls is developing spurs (just starts). After looking up Polish sex differences I note her/his crest is poofy, and tail feathers are blunt--(female), her wattle is a bit bigger then her twin--bit not much. (male) Nobody is crowing---but the he/she suspect is vocal whenever someone is in the yard--'the suspect' makes about 1/2 the noise in the yard---of the 8 total. The group is 7-8 months old. So I wonder where did the fertilized egg come from? With only spur nubs as he only true roo physical sign could she be a he? Is a neighbor Rooster stopping by for secret visits? Do I still assume she is a she with only one male sign? Can hens have mini spurs? It just seems a bit strange, but so is about everything else here in the Smokey mountains--that is why we live here.

I suspect that you have a roo that has been cross dressing all this time because of your dominant roo that died. Now that "he" is the only, I bet you'll start to notice a change. Maybe a hairy chest or something

I know you said that they usually knocked off his advances, but it could still be fertile from an advance that didn't get knocked off quick enough.

I do not have a rooster in my pen "able" to do the job, but I got a hen and three weeks after I brought her home, I was still fining fertile eggs (they are in my incubator right now scheduled to hatch in 7 days!).

I've read that they can still lay fertilized eggs up to four weeks after a rooster is removed. Good luck finding out which it is! LOL